you is important

We rarely get to watch movies these days because precious free time is usually filled with things that need to get done, or equally precious sleep. However, I had really been wanting to see The Help for a while and so last night I mustered up the motivation to stay awake long enough to do so. The verdict: I really really liked it.

The part that stuck with me was when one of the maids, Abilene, was taking care of the little girl of the family she worked for. Everyday she would tell the little girl, "You is kind, you is smart, you is important," and then have the girl repeat it. Bad grammar aside, what an important thing to give a child. To tell them they're special and why, and then have them say it themselves. To really believe it. Think what kind of adults kids would become if the were told daily, and really believed, that they were kind, smart and important. I think with Benjamin, and future children, I'll start a little mantra of my own.

good crafternoon: the nursery tour

As promised (a while ago) here's the nursery tour! As I wasn't working for a good chunk of time before baby came I was able to create a nursery that I really love. This is definitely my favorite place to be in the house (erm, apartment). Sometimes living in a giant apartment complex gets a little dull. You know that, save for maybe different furniture and a few pictures on the wall, your apartment looks just like your neighbors. And your neighbor's neighbor. Having a nice nursery allows me to have a little bit of a retreat - somewhere Benjamin and I can hang out, nurse, rest, read and play. Everything in it was carefully chosen or made. Some of it was collected on travels or received as gifts from friends and family, and all of it is special in its own way.

The first thing we did was paint. This took an absurdly long time. Between vacillating over paint colors, buying the supplies and then actually painting the walls it took probably a month or more to just get the base color on. At first we were just going to do an accent wall, but I didn't want to regret not doing the whole room later and I'm glad we decided to press on. After that came the stenciling. I used the large elephant stencil and one of the flower/leaf stencils from this awesome stencil book I got on our trip to Boston last summer. I painstaking made sure they were level and as evenly spaced as I could all the way around the room. Then I went back and retouched each one up so it looked nice.

Next came the bookshelves which may be my favorite thing in the room. I knew that I wanted books to be in the nursery, but the room is kind of small and I didn't want to have to buy more furniture. When I saw this tutorial for wall mounted cloth bookshelf "pockets" I knew I wanted to make them. I chose the fabric to match the blue/green theme that was already going on in the room and got to work. These were really easy to make, but not having a lot of sewing experience it was still a test of my skills to use my sewing machine. I made the top pocket smaller to hold the small books so they would stay visible and
wouldn't be swallowed up.

I added a little artwork above the books. The middle picture is a card from Benjamin's aunt that fit perfectly in the frame. The larger side pictures are adorable wrapping paper that some of his gifts came wrapped in at my baby shower.

This is the changing table area long before it was ever used as a changing table. It's basically glorified storage at this point but hanging in front of it is a green, blue and yellow bunting I crocheted. I got the idea from my favorite craft blog.

 This mobile came from the little gift store attached to the Tenement Museum in NYC. We were there for a wedding in May and randomly decided to stop by for the museum tour. I really enjoyed going there, so this is a nice reminder of that day and our trip.

The dresser, full of clothes ready to be worn. The blue lamp on top is from a friend who was planning on getting rid of it because it didn't give off enough light. But a dim light is perfect for a nursery, plus it is blue and the perfect size so I scooped it up.

These little guys I crocheted. I made the elephant first, and I was so happy with how it turned out I was motivated to make something else. The giraffe was a little more challenging but I'm also really happy with that one as well. I don't know if they'll be used as toys because I'm not sure how they would hold up to tugging, but maybe as sleep pals or something they would be fine. The patterns are from here.

I painted this guy at one of those "paint your own pottery then we'll glaze and fire it and you come get it in a week" places.

The crib and chair. The sheet on the crib is from Pottery Barn Kids. It matched so perfectly to the walls, and the rest of the room in general, that I sucked it up and spent the $16 on it. The crib, dresser and changing table are all part of a set that we got at Babies R Us. There's so much to consider when buying this stuff that it was hard for an indecisive person like me to choose, but after several trips to go look at it in person we made a decision. The chair is the same story. Also from Babies R Us, I really liked it the first time I sat in one at the store but it had bad reviews online. People said it squeaked, or was clunky, or needed to be sent back for one reason or another. I was nervous, but decided to give it a shot and I've been really happy with it. Also, Made in America!

So there it is. It's a place I created with love. It makes me sad to know that one day, probably sooner rather than later, we won't live here anymore and Benjamin probably won't remember it. I wish we could take it with us when we move but we can't. And now that he's actually here, I have far less time than I did before and can't realistically see myself recreating it completely in a new house. I suppose, like most other things, I will just have to takes lots of pictures and make lots of memories to share with him instead. 

car dreams

This post is brought you to direct from the front seat of a blue Volkswagen. In a Bed Bath & Beyond parking lot. Little Mister has taken to napping very well in the car - not so much at home. While I can usually get him to fall asleep in his crib, I'm lucky if he stays that way for half an hour. But the car, and her sweet humming sounds and soothing vibrating motions, lull him to sleep quickly and keep him that way for easily an hour. This has been going on for over a month and at first I resisted it as being the start of a bad habit. Now I'm rolling with it. Literally.

When he wakes up we'll go into BB&B (purveyor of fine home goods since ??) and return a bum teapot. Until then, thank goodness for smart phones as I can actually still get things accomplished.

greased lightening

I often don't really notice the passing of time, and then it hits me all at once. I always joke that Benjamin seems exactly the same to me as the day he was born. Of course when I look back he's changed drastically, but I find myself wondering exactly when it happened.

I cleaned out his dresser yesterday because it was so full of stuff that didn't fit I could hardly put an outfit together. I filled an entire under-the bed box with clothing he's already outgrown! As I sorted through everything it was so strange to pack up the outfits I got before he was born, especially the ones I got early on in the pregnancy. They hung in his closet for so long, and for so long I would look at them and touch them dreaming of the little boy that would wear them. Some seemed so big - like I would never actually have a child big enough to wear them. And now their packed up, too small and only worn a few times.

I notice it in everything. His feet that hang over his car seat, being able to reach the toy fish that hangs above his swing (that once seemed impossibly far away), being able to ride in the cart at the store or the swing at the playground. Rolling all over any where he wants to go.

I love every minute as it speeds by.

Letters to Benjamin

Dear Baby Boy,

I wish I would have started writing these letters earlier, but I've been too busy staring at your perfect face. You are already 6 months old! I just can't believe it. You're turning into such an inquisitive little boy. This has been a big couple of months for you! So far you've learned to grab your feet (Jan. 9th), roll from front to back (Jan. 16th) AND back to front (Jan. 22nd). Just in the last few days you've started rolling so much that if we set you down and look away for just a second you're in a completely different place. You started solids on your 5 month birthday and are thoroughly enjoying them. So far you've had rice cereal, bananas, peas, sweet potatoes, pears, peaches and squash. You love to feed yourself by grabbing the spoon out of my hands and sticking it right into your mouth. And of course you love to get it all over the place a make a big mess :) I'm hoping we can start giving you more exciting flavors soon so you can love all of the delicious ethnic food your daddy and I love so much. Also very exciting is your first tooth! I noticed it during your bath (Feb. 16th) just getting ready to poke through, and now it's definitely on it's way out. I wasn't sure when you'd get your first tooth, but since 6 months is the average you're right on schedule. Suffice it to say, you've been a busy boy.

So many things are happening so quickly, and I can barely keep up. But it's good for me to try, so keep impressing me little mister. You amaze me everyday!

Love,
Mama